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v. W. BLANCHARD. FUEL FEEDER FOR FURNAGBS.

N. PETERS. Phola-Lhugrapher. Walhhlglmllc.

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\ V. W. BLANCHARD. f

. FUEL-FEEDER PORIURNAGES. l

Patented' Oct. 2Q, 1889.

By is Aiorney UNITED STATES YPATErrr OFFICE.

l VIRGIL W. BLANCHARD, -OF NEI/Y YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH A.

DAVIS, OF SAME PLAGE.

'FUEL-FEEDER FOR FURNACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 413,902, dated October 29, 1889.

Applicatiqn nea April 5,1889. seritlNo. 306,071. (Numan.)

.To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, VIEGIL W. BLANCHARD, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuel-Feeders for Furnaces; and I do hereby declare that the following-is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to t-he accompanying drawings, and tothe letters of reference marked thereon, which form-part of this specification, in which- .Y

Figure l is a section taken diametrically through one of my improved furnaces, showing a fuel-feeder applied thereto. Fig. lFL is a detail viewV of the blast-pipe. Fig. 2 is a perspective view in detail showing part of the fuel-feeder whereby I automatically feed fuel. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail in elevation of my improved fuel-feeder. Fig. 3a is a detailof the automatic regulator. Fig. 3b is a detail of the pipe supplying air to the top of the fuel-elevator casing. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of my bucket and its guide-rollers'. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a bucket-coverer. o y

My'object mainly is, first, to supply the fuel-chamber of a furnace with the minimum quantity of fuel at regular intervals, so thatv I der pressure. Such a furnace is fully described by me vin ymy Letters Patent, numloered 289,963,-dated December ll, 1883.

In order to fully explain my invention, I show in Fig. l onepractical application of it.

It will be seen that a cylinder or conduit ex` roof or dome of the -lire-chamber the charges ,of fuel dropped from the valve G will be evenly distributed.

. If fuel is continuously fed upon the upper surface lof the aforesaid valve G', it is evi- 'dent that by depressing and elevating the same at short intervals of time, controlled by means herein after explained, said fuel will be supplied regularly to the fire-chamber.

A' represents the gas-tight fuel-receptacle; B', the door hermetically closing this receptacle; O', the gas-tight conduit containing the elevating mechanism, consisting, essentially, of an endless chain and coal-elevating buckets, hereinafter fully explained `in detail.

It will be observed that the outlet of the casing, at the lower extremity of its upper descending portion, is provided with a iange E', by means of which and bolts it is firmly secured to the capping-plate of the furnacewall, forming at said connection a gas-tight joint. By this means thel'cavity within the conduit or casing of the elevator is made continuous with the central passage T of the furnace by oscillating the fueledischarge valve G', by which they are separated.

S' represents a blast-pipe, which is suitably connected with the mainblast-pipe O, (the connection not being shown,) and which enters the tube or casing C' at its upper angle, by means of which pipe a current of fresh air is delivered into its interior under pressure derived from ablower. This air passes downward into the central cylindrical cavity of the furnace through the loose joint between the nre-brick valve G' and the opening which it fits freely. By means of this blast the upper part of the casing C' and the mechanism therein are kept comparatively cool, while at the same time the blast assists in driving the fuel into the furnace when valve G' is opened. The blast also supplies the hydrogen point or zone of combustion in the top closed chamber of the furnace with fresh oxygen` from above to complete its combustion.

The devices for elevating and feeding the fuel into the furnace are as follows:

A2 designates a fuel-receptacle beside the furnace, havingy a feed-opening, which may be hermetically closed by a door B', and com- IOO munie-ating with the lower end of casing -C' through an opening closed byan adjustable gate V', operated by a pivoted lever V2, engaging a headed stud Y2, projecting through a slot in receptacle A2. In said receptacle is mounted an agitator-wheel XV', the shaft 105 of which extends outside the receptacle and is provided with a sprocket-wheel wf, operated by a chain from a sprocket w7 on a shaft 76, journaled in the lower end of casing C', and which is operated by worm-gearing from a horizontal shaft Z2. On the other end of shaft Z2 is a cone-pulley Z', driven by a belt Y2 from a cone-pulley Y on another shaft a5, which shaft is driven by a pulley ai', belted to the main engine. (Not shown in the drawings.) Another cone-pulley X' is mounted on shaft a5 and connected to cone Yby a joint 17. Both pulleys Y' and X' turn loosely on shaft af", but may be locked thereto by a clutch c', which is operated by means of a rod (Z2, connected to a steam-governor device K, (indicated in Fig. 3,) by which the clutch is thrown into or out of engagement at a predetermined steam-pressure, so that the feeding of fuel is automatically regulated thereby t0 feed the fuel Awhen below 'this vpressure and cut off feed when the pressure exceeds the amount desired.

R is a sprocket-wheel mounted on shaft W in the lower end of casing C', and a similar sprocket-wheel R' is mounted on the shaft fr; in the upper end of the casing, and on these sprockets is an endless carrier-chain Q2, which will be carried through the coal or fuel fed into the lower end of the casing from receptacle A2.

Q' Q' designate elevating-buckets secured on chainQ2, and clearly shown lin perspective, Fig. 4. -Each bucket has anadjustable botltom, (shown detached from the bucket .in Fig. 5,) by means of Ywhich the capacity of the bucket to carry fuel is varied. By loosening the set-screws S3 the bottom S2 may be set free and its rounded end can then be engaged with any one of a series of notches formed between lugs U' in the interior of the bucket and fastened rigidly in the adjusted position by tightening the said screws. In securing each bucket to its truck that supports the endless chain Q2 in its journey in the tube creasing C' it will be Observed that the axle of the truck between its wheels R3 R3 passes through ears R4, that lspring from the lateral walls of said bucket, thus forming a-simple and strong hinged connection.

P' P are channels or ways in the sidewalls of casin g C', that serve as ways for the trucks that support the endless chain Q2, which carries the fuel-elevating buckets, the latter being clearly shown in -both ascending and descending position. Preferably casing C' is formed in two longitudinal halves bolted together. The agitator W' prevents bridging of the fuel in receptacle A2, and forces it into the lowerA end of casing C', to be carried up by the buckets. The fuel falls from the buckets as they `pass over the upper lsprocket wheelRupona deflector 0,whieh directs it onto the hopper G on top of valve G', which hopper moves with the valve, so that if the latter is turned downward the fuel is fed into the furnaceue T, through which it falls upon deflectors T', by which it is scattered over the grate.

The valve G' is automatically operated as follows:

Il' designates a pivoted tripping-lever, its short arm being jointed by a connecting-rod H2 with the back of the hopper G, while its long arm extends upward, so that it is in the path of the descending buckets Q'.

I' is a second tripping-lever pivoted in casing C' below leverH', and similarly connected by its short arm to a rod 12jointed to the hopper G, andhavin g a lon g arm, which, when the valve is closed, lies out of Vthe way of the descending bucketsQ', but when said valve is opened vis thrown into the path of said buckets. As the bucket-s descend after delivering their contents into hopper G, they bucket, and as the latter continues its descent itengages said arm and causes the closing of the valve through rod l2, bringing lever Il back to its first position. The said levers are so adjusted andset -in relation to each other that at the moment the re-brick valve is opened its closure will begin by'the contact of the bucket with the lever-arms, as described; hence it becomes evident that .by means of theautomatic mechanism referred to for regulating the movement of the carrier-chain, lump or powdered fuel can be elevated in small quantities and at frequent intervalsfand delivered from receptacle A2 into the furnace. On the'shaft h,'that'carries'lever ll', and outside the casing C', is secured an arm h2, which is connected by a rod hsto a crank-arm h2 on the stem of a valve', located in the air-pipeS, and these partsare so adjusted that at'the momentthe valve vG is tripped, as described, to admit'fuel into the furnace, valve h5 is opened and a volume of air under Vpressure .is admitted into the casing sufficient :to force the fuel into the furnace and to prevent escape of gases from the latter, Athe pressure of air being diminished when valve G' is closed by the simultaneous partial closing of valve 71,5,as is evident. The casing may be provided with a `safety-valve to pre Vent too great pressure therein.

By means of the sliding gate V', and 'the adjustable bottoms S2 in the buckets Q", andl the cone-pulleys Y' and Z' ,not only the quanitity of vfuel carried by the fuel-elevating buckets in a single journey, but 'the speed or rapidity of its elevation, maybe regulated as the engineer desires. Bymeans of the clutch 'l c, actuated by the got ernoi, as described,

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an intermission in the fuel-feeding process is realized whenever additional fuel in the furnace for theproduction of steam is not required.

Having thus described my invention, I claimi l. In combination with a furnace and an endless-chain fuel-elevator, substantially as described, a valve adapted to receive the fuel from the buckets and deliver it into the furnace, and the mechanism, substantially as described, whereby said valve is automatically opened and closed by the buckets, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the furnace, the automatically-operated valve G', and the endless-chain fuel-elevator and its casing, of the air-supply pipe for said casing and the devices for automatically regulating the admission of air into the casing at the moment alve G' is operated, all substantially as speci- 3. The combination, with the elevator-casing, its endless chain and buckets,`and the trucks therefor, of the tracks or ways for the trucks, substantially as speciied.

4. The combination of the elevator-casing, its endless chain and buckets, and the receptacle A2 with the agitator-wheel and the adj ustable gate, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the fuel-elevating buckets, of the adj ustablebottoms, constructed and arranged substantially as specified.

6. The combination of the furnace, the feed-valve Gr', and the elevator-casing and elevator chain and ,buckets therein with the tripping-levers and connections thereof to said valve and the mechanism for operating said chain, all substantially as specifiedfI 7. The combination, with the furnace and the elevator-casing and chain and buckets, of the Worm-gearing and shafting for operating said chain, andthe pulleys and clutch and governor for automatically operating said shafts, all substantially as specied.

8. The herein-described elevator-buckets Q', having lugs U and adjustable bottoms S2,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. The combination of the valve G and the tripping-levers H' and I', connected to said valve, with the endless-chain elevator and the buckets thereon adapted to operate said levers, all substantially as set forth.

l0. The combination of the valve G and the tripping-levers H' and I', connected thereto, with the endless-chain elevator and its buckets adapted to operate said levers, and the valve h5 and the connections between the same and lever H', all substantially as set forth.

11. The combination, with the furnace, the casing C', and fuel-receptacle A2, and the agitator-wheel W', elevator-chain Q2, and its buckets, of the shaft Z2 and its connections for operating said chain, the cone-pulleys Z and Y', shaft a5, and clutch c', connected to a steam-governor, all substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

l2. The combination, with the furnace, the air-tight casing C', the fuel-elevator chain and buckets therein, and the air-supply pipe S', and the devices, substantially as described, for automatically controlling the operation of said chain, of the valve G', levers H' I', rods H212, and arms h h and rod, all constructed substantially in the manner and for VIRGIL W. BLANCHARD.

Witnesses:

W. R. KEYWORTH, F. O. MCCLEARY. 

